Improvement in attaching traces to whiffletrees of vehicles



lE. BROWN;

W-hfetree Hooks.

No 50,682. Patented Oct. 31, 1865.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN BROWN, OF LEOHINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN ATTACHING TRACES T0 WHIFFLETREES 0F VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN BROWN, of Leominster, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 4in Mode of Attaching Traces to Whifdetrees of Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanyin g drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms afull and exact specification ofthe same, wherein I have set forth the nature and'principles of my said improvements, by which my invention may be distinguished from all others ot' a similar class, together with 'such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

It has long been desirable to secure an attachment for the traces to the whiffletrees of vehicles which would permit of their being easily disengaged therefrom in unharnessing, and also, in cases of accidents, allow of an instant release of the horse from the shafts. Many arrangements of devices have heretofore been invented for this purpose, some of which have been partially successful, but, however, owing to their complication and uncertain operation, have notbeeu generally adopted. The advantages ot' so securing the traces to Whittletrees are manifest, and need not be herein specified, and they are greatly increased when breeching hooks are used from which the straps can disengage themselves by the simple forward movement of the horse within the shafts.

The present invention, therefore, consists in so arranging devices for the fastening of traces to whiftletrees that the traces can be simultaneously and instantly unfastened at pleasure. I accomplish this result by inserting in each endof the whiftletree, lengthwise, therewith a sliding spring-bolt moving in suitable bearings. These bolts project from each end of the whifletree, and have bearings in sockets of cap or plate secured by connecting-bars to the whiftletree. Between these caps and the two ends ofthe whifietree the traces are placed, the bolts passing through au aperture in the saine to the said caps. Thus, by connecting the two sliding bolts by any suitable strap or other device passing up through the bottom of the vehicle,it is evident that bysimply pulling the said strap the bolts will be instantly disengaged from the traces when desired.

In the accompanying plate of drawings my improvements are represented, Figure l being a plan or top View, and Fig. 2 a central longitudinal vertical section ofthe same.

a a in theaccompanying drawings represent a portion of a whiftletree, to one end of which is secured my improved trace-fastening, arranged as follows,',viz: b b is a sliding` bolt, placed lengthwise in the whiftletree, projecting from the end thereof, and with bearings in the end plate, c, and projection d of the plate j'. The outer end,p, of this bolt b has a bearing and seat in a socket, g, of the cap or plate l, securely attached to the whiftletree by a connecting-bar, m, and at sufcientdistance therefrom to allow of the insertion ot the trace n between the said cap and whiftletree. o o is a spiral spring wound around the bolt b and placedbetween the bearing d and cross-bar or rod p attached to or forming a part of the bolt ZJ, which rod p passes out through the slot i" ofthe platef, and has a suitable knob or handle, s, at the end thereof' .for the more convenient sliding of the bolt in and out of its socketseat g of the said cap l, the spring 0, however, causing by its elastic force the immediate replacement ofthe holt in its cap Z after having been drawn out of the same.

Having tirst'moved the bolt out of its socketseat g a sufficient distance, and then placed the proper end of the trace in the space t between the cap and whiffletree, with its aperture x in the same plane with the bolt, by releasing the bolt it is evident that it will then be forced back by its spring to its seat, and passing through the said aperture iu the trace will thereby rmly and securely hold the same asdesired, and as is apparent without further description.

The advantages of the above arrangement of devices for a fastening for harness-traces are many, among which may be enumerated the following, viz: No wear of the trace is caused, as the aperture therein may be pro tected in a variety of ways, such as by eyelets, Snc.; its strength, simplicity of construction and operation, and non-liability of the trace ever becoming nnfastened, except when desired.

The peculiar form and arrangementin which my improvements have been represented and described, it Yisapparent, may be greatly varied without departing from the principles of my present invention, and by attaching my improved fastening to each end of the whiflietree and simply connecting the two sliding bolts by a strap or other suitable means, running around friction and guiding rollers, and passing up through the bottom of the vehicle, the two bolts can beinstantaneously withdrawn from the traces by simply pulling on the connecting-strap above referred to'.

It may be also here remarked that the advantages of my improved trace-fastening are greatly increased when breeching-hooks, such as have been described in the specification accompanying my application for Letters Patent on the same, bearing even date herewith,

are used, as in that case to release the horse from the shafts it is only necessary to raise the connecting-strap ofthe trace-l'astenings, as described, the breechin g-straps unfastenin g themselves as the horse then moves forward within the shafts.

Having thus described my improvements, I shall state my claim, as follows:

As a new articleof manufacture, springbolts for attaching to and detaching traces from whiflietrees, arranged within a casing which is provided with bearings and a protecting-cap, for operation substantially as shown and described. l

EDWIN BROWN.

l/Vitnesses:

J osEPH GAvErT, ALBERT W. BROWN. 

